Katy Christian Ministries is just about finished with preparations for its 2021 fundraising gala – its 17th annual party to raise funds for its mission to help those in need throughout the Katy area. KCM Executive Director Deysi Crespo and KCM Board of Directors President Patti Lacy said the event has a fundraising goal of $125,000 and has already raised about $75,0000 to date.

The theme for this year’s gala, which will be held at Palacio Maria at 21728 Highland Knolls Drive in Katy, is “To New Beginnings” Crespo said. The event will be held at p.m. on Sept. 9. With a new headquarters building, new team members coming on board – including a new case manager set to hire in the next several weeks – and further expansion of services into the Katy area, Crespo said the theme felt appropriate.

The nonprofit is also working to add services for veterans this year, Crespo said. An event is being planned for Nov. 13 with Pastor Bruce Latimer of Mosaic Community Church that will involve a cookout and networking opportunity for veterans. She advised interested parties to keep an eye on KCM’s social media channels for more information as the event draws near.

Silent auctions will be held at the event for a variety of items including Sugar Land Skeeters tickets, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M baskets, massages, bowling outings and a host of other items, Crespo said. Online auctions for the event were set to go live on Sept. 1 and continue through the evening of the gala.

Brian Greene, CEO and president of the Houston Food Bank, will be the keynote speaker at the event. Greene is noted for his efforts to connect his organization with smaller food banks in the area to ensure Greater Houston residents in need get the nutrition they need.

Tickets to the gala are $100 per person and tiers of sponsorships are available ranging in cost from $1,000 to $20,000, according to the event’s website. Sponsorships include tickets 10-2- tickets for the event.

“I think the gala just is really concentrating on our new building and reaching out and spreading our wings throughout the community even more so, and hopefully being able to reach out to those people in the community where our new building is going to be because that’s already one of our top zip codes that we work in,” Lacy said.

Lacy was referring to KCM’s new headquarters building that is currently being renovated at 3306 Porter Road. Crespo said the new facility is about 90% complete and will allow the nonprofit to consolidate operations into one administrations facility, though its two resale shops at 5510 First Street and 23232 Kingsland Boulevard will remain open in their current locations. The new facility will have a larger food pantry, space for caseworkers to have offices and meeting rooms that are more functional for staff and volunteers, she said.

The facility will also feature a community garden to help produce foods for the ministry’s food pantry as well as a venue for fresh air and nutritional education.

Crespo said one of the main remaining expenses for the Porter Road facility is an awning and driveway to wrap around the building. To raise money for that portion of the project, she and her team have continued with a capital campaign to raise the remaining portion of the roughly $40,000 needed to complete the awning which will protect volunteers working in the food pantry from the weather.

Construction on the project is being completed by Bradford Construction out of Houston.

Crespo and Lacy said they were extremely appreciative of the donors that have made the new building and the services KCM continues to provide to the community, especially under growing needs associated with the pandemic’s economic and social impacts.

“We are so very thankful for all of the donors that have made this possible thus far.,” Crespo said.